Irvine, CA: KCON

KCON... everything Hallyu.

I had a very interesting and fun time at this convention. Hallyu is not something that I really follow, but I have friends who do, and this was an opportunity to learn more.

The convention was held in Irvine, CA, at the Verizon Amphitheater, and centered around the pop culture of South Korea.  The most interesting thing about the convention, was that there were so many different types of people from different backgrounds and ethnicity.

Panels... We were able to hear a lot.  The first panel we went to were a panel of film and tv writers.  The first wrote skits for internet shorts, the second for larger TV Shows, such as 24 and Prison Break, and the third Korean TV dramas.  All were either centered around Korean culture, or were or Korean background.

The panel we were waiting for, however, was the Youtube Panel, in which KCON brought in korean/korean oriented video bloggers (vloggers), to share their experiences and perspectives on their work.  

The two at the end were the ones that I was particularly excited in seeing.  They own and run a vlog called Eat Your Kimchi, which they created in order to show their families they were alive and well as they taught in South Korea.  I ran across their blog when I began work with Korean families and churches, and had questions about their culture.  I was having a rough time understanding the way Korean's perceive Americans, while understanding how to perceive their culture myself.  The first video I watched was about being big, ugly, sweaty foreigners..... very helpful. I wasn't alone. 

The others there were Los Angeles based comedians... the first David So, the other two from Just Kidding Films.

  I'm on youtube!

At the end of the day, there was a concert... K-pop is not my music of choice, but the artists are definitely talented, and the music fun.  The concert, I believe, had the loudest audience I have ever heard, but also the calmest.  Strange. lol

And lots of randomness... some I didn't quite understand... but really, who cares?  

They are having fun.

Louisiana: Added State

New Orleans, LA: Music

These artists were everywhere, and had a different style from other locals. 

While my party rested for the day, I walked around the city and explored.  That day I walked through the art exhibits, met artists, discussed New Orleans with them, and admired there work.  Then I made my to Cafe du Monde, grabbed some Café au Lait and Beignets, and listened to the band play.  I guess my expression showed my love for music, because the singer ended up dedicating a song to me, and finding me after to apologize if I was embarrassed.   I ended up talking to him and another street artist for awhile, although mostly the other artist.  I learned their background story, how they made it to New Orleans, military past, etc.  They shared with me their street experiences, and even Katrina.  Later on in the day, I saw all of these band players wandering the corners, playing their own instruments for money.   

When I came, I had hoped that I would find Grandpa Elliot.  I had heard him sing via Playing for Change, and I new that he was from New Orleans.  I remember walking down of the streets, telling my step-mom that he was one musician I really hoped to run into, and literally, right as I finished that sentence, we turned the corner, and there he was.  I saw him twice while there, this was my second, and he sang for me... after telling another man that listenin' to dis music, gonna give you an eargasm.  

New Orleans, LA- Spirituality

New Orleans may not be in a constant state of physical movement like Los Angeles or New York, even to contrary actually, but spiritually, this is a place is always active, and seemingly alive in its own way.  The place was unlike anything I had ever experienced before:  the voodoo and spirituality shops are in abundance, as are superstitions and beliefs in the supernatural.

Curiously enough though, I felt at home and at ease here, and curiosity engulfed me constantly.  I did a lot of exploring on my own, and sat with artists and street performers, just to listen to them talk and share their lives.  I ate at little cafés, listened to the music, and admired the color all around me.  It is a place dripping in history, littered with stories, tragedy, pain, success, and joys.  This town saw so much of American history, including its worse moments, and yet still, it is so far from anything else in America.

New Orleans though, does not exists on its own, but the culture extends to its surrounding cities and towns, and even swamps.  They all worked together, with the Mississippi River as the center.  I hope to go back and explore it all more.  I want to learn more of this place.

New Orleans, LA

New Orleans, LA

The French Quarters

Everyone has a story, and New Orleans is no exception.  The city has a mixture of artists, wanderers, philosophers, and workers.  I was given a moment to sit and talk with some of the street artists, and hear their stories.  Where they went during Katrina, what it's like living in New Orleans, and what brought them here.  Some were from here, most were drawn there.  

The Mighty Mississippi

 

Jackson Square

French Market

New Orleans, LA: Cafe du Monde

Ahhh... Café du Monde.  This was my first taste of beignets and cafe au lait.  I loved this place.  It is right down the way from the Cathedral and Jackson Square, with the Mississippi River right behind it.  I would come here often on my lonely explorations, and would sit with a coffee and just listen to the music.  

http://www.cafedumonde.com/

New Orleans, LA: Restaurants